Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Merge, Bundle Or License? Paramount+ Explores Strategic Options As Skydance Waits In The Wings

Story from Deadline:

As Paramount Global prepares for a change in ownership, it is also confronting the realization setting in at all traditional media companies: Direct-to-consumer streaming is hard.

Deadline: Disney-DirecTV Carriage Renewal Talks Continue Ahead Of Deadline; Blackout Warnings To Viewers Could Begin Soon

Story from Deadline:

Disney and DirecTV remain at the bargaining table, trying to reach a renewal of their current distribution agreement, which expires Sunday.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Paramount Board Special Committee Confirms Skydance Merger Will Close In First Half Of 2025, Says “Go-Shop” Period Has “Concluded”

Story from Deadline:

A special committee of Paramount Global’s board set up to steer its M&A process has declared an end to the “go-shop” period in its pending Skydance Media merger and says the transaction will close in the first half of 2025.

Broadband TV News: BBC Studios expands reach of BBC Player in Poland

Story from Broadband TV News:

BBC Studios and CDA have announced that BBC Studios’ multi-genre VOD service will launch on CDA Premium from 1 September 2024.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Hollywood Reporter: Paramount Signals Closer Consideration of Edgar Bronfman’s Bid

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

A last-minute overture for Paramount Global is getting more serious consideration from Shari Redstone and the company’s special committee of the board of directors.

Deadline: ESPN Extends Rights To U.S. Open Tennis Through 2037

Story from Deadline:

ESPN has signed a 12-year extension with the U.S. Tennis Association and will continue its coverage of the U.S. Open through 2037.

Deadline: Showmax Cooking Up ‘Koek’ Season 2 Following Sky/NBCU-Backed Relaunch

Story from Deadline:

Showmax‘s buzzy South African crime drama Koek is heading for a second season.

Variety: Michelle Mendelovitz Exits as Mattel Television Studios Chief

Story from Variety:

Michelle Mendelovitz has stepped down as head of Mattel Television Studios, Variety has confirmed.

Variety: ESPN Will Vie for Local Sports Rights

Story from Variety:

ESPN, best known for its comprehensive portfolio of national sports rights, sees a chance to get into the business of making games available to fans on a local basis.

Broadband TV News: Warner Bros. Discovery International launches first-party data platform

Story from Broadband TV News:

Warner Bros. Discovery International has launched Warner Bros. Discovery AIM, a first-party data platform that enables advertisers to target their campaigns with new levels of precision, across a number of markets throughout EMEA, APAC and LatAm.

Advanced Television: Paramount signs Football Australia deal

Story from Advanced Television:

Paramount Australia and Football Australia have announced a multi-year and multi-platform agreement to broadcast an extended package of CommBank Matildas and Subway Socceroos’ games on Network 10 and Paramount+ in Australia, through to 2028.

Hollywood Reporter: Warner Bros. Discovery Taps Shauna Spenley as Global CMO of Direct-to-Consumer

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Warner Bros. Discovery has hired Shauna Spenley to lead its streaming marketing efforts.

Variety: Disney Alleges DirecTV ‘Has Not Engaged in Earnest’ With Various TV Deal Options as Contract Expiration Looms

Story from Variety:

Disney‘s lineup of TV networks, including ESPN and ABC, could go dark for DirecTV subscribers as early as this Sunday if the two sides can’t come to terms on a renewed distribution deal.

Deadline: Disney And DirecTV Lock Horns In Carriage Renewal Talks: Will The Result Be A Bold New Pay-TV Plan Or Just Private Equity “Spin”?

Story from Deadline:

DirecTV and Disney are going down to the wire with carriage renewal discussions ahead of the current deal’s expiration Sunday.

Variety: Warner Bros Discovery Taps Ex-Netflix Exec Shauna Spenley as Streaming CMO; Patrizio ‘Pato’ Spagnoletto to Exit

Story from Variety:

Shauna Spenley, a former longtime Netflix marketing exec, is joining Warner Bros. Discovery as global chief marketing officer of direct-to-consumer.

Deadline: Judge In Fubo Lawsuit Against Disney, Fox And Warner Bros Discovery Eyes February Start To Jury Trial

Story from Deadline:

The judge who blocked Disney, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros Discovery from launching streaming service Venu Sports after a lawsuit by Fubo wants the parties to return to court in a bit more than two weeks.

Broadband TV News: Max to stream CNN International in Europe

Story from Broadband TV News:

Max, Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platform, is to offer 24/7 news with the launch of the CNN International live channel feed in 22 European countries across Spain, Nordics, Belgium, Netherlands and Central and Eastern Europe on 29th August.

BizAsia: ZEE-Sony reach settlement to conclude all disputes related to failed merger

Story from BizAsia:

ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEE), Culver Max Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (CMEPL) operating as Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), together with its group company Bangla Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (BEPL), have arrived at a comprehensive non-cash settlement, amicably resolving all disputes related to the Merger Co-operation Agreement and the Composite Scheme of Arrangement.

Variety: Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox Press for Quick Appeal of Venu Streaming Sports Venture Shutdown

Story from Variety:

Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery just want to get their new streaming sports venture on the field of play.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Paramount Board Special Committee Confirms Skydance Merger Will Close In First Half Of 2025, Says “Go-Shop” Period Has “Concluded”

Story from Deadline:

A special committee of Paramount Global’s board set up to steer its M&A process has declared an end to the “go-shop” period in its pending Skydance Media merger and says the transaction will close in the first half of 2025.

Hollywood Reporter: ESPN Reveals Sweeping Content Reorganization Under Burke Magnus

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

ESPN is making big changes to its content organization, with president of content Burke Magnus outlining a sweeping new organization structure that will elevate some top executives and see the company part ways with others.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Hollywood Reporter: Edgar Bronfman Drops Paramount Bid

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

In the latest turn in the Paramount Global sale process, Edgar Bronfman Jr. has withdrawn his bid to buy the film and TV studio.

Deadline: Michael Brooks Appointed Warner Bros. Discovery General Manager, ANZ Region

Story from Deadline:

Michael Brooks has been appointed General Manager for ANZ at Warner Bros. Discovery.

Deadline; “Wrong Direction”: Linear TV Advertising & Original Productions’ Future Bleak, Ken Ziffren Warns

Story from Deadline:

Linear TV advertising and original production are falling fast, and don’t expect sports to save the industry, Ken Ziffren said today.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Broadband TV News: Skydance demands Paramount to end talks with Edgar Bronfman

Story from Broadband TV News:

Skydance accuses Paramount’s committee of directors of violating the terms of its deal and demans an immediate end of the talks with Edgar Bronfman.

Broadband TV News: Liberty sells $825m stake in Formula One to acquire MotoGP

Story from Broadband TV News:

Liberty Media has announced plans to sell F1 shares worth $825m to ‘partially fund’ it’s planned acquisition of MotoGP.

Deadline: NBA Slam Dunks Warner Bros Discovery, Says Company Lacks Reach & Cash To Challenge Amazon TV Rights Deal; TNT Insists League’s “Actions Are Unjustified” As Court Battle Heats Up

Story from Deadline:

Unless someone calls a time out soon, the legal game between the NBA and Warner Bros Discovery over small-screen basketball rights that the still David Zaslav-run media company turned over looks set to go down to some serious 2-for-1.

Deadline: TNT Greenlights CIA Miniseries As Network Eyes Potential Scripted Ramp-Up Post Write-Down & Restructuring

Story from Deadline:

TNT has greenlighted four-hour miniseries Debriefing the President (working title), about the 2003 interrogation of deposed Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, to air in 2025.

Broadband TV News: Canal+ demands €57m from TF1 for the use of the “+” sign

Story from Broadband TV News:

French pay channel Canal+ has decided to take TF1 to court over the use of the “+” for its streaming platform TF1+.

Variety: NBA Seeks Dismissal of Warner Sports-Rights Lawsuit

Story from Variety

This game may never start.

Variety: Disney Board Committee to Find Bob Iger’s CEO Successor Will Be Led by Morgan Stanley’s James Gorman

Story from Variety:

Disney‘s board named director James Gorman, executive chairman of Morgan Stanley, as chair of its succession planning committee to identify a CEO replacement to take over the reins from Bob Iger.

Variety: Paramount+ Is Now Free for Charter’s Spectrum Select TV Select Customers

Story from Variety:

As part of trying to keep cable TV customers from cutting the cord, Charter Communications is now offering the ad-supported version of Paramount+ to all Spectrum TV Select and Mi Plan Latino packages nationwide — for no additional fee.

Advanced Television: DAZN signs H20 Racing deal

Story from Advanced Television:

H2O Racing has announced a partnership with DAZN, the sports streaming platform.

Advanced Television; Poland: SkyShowtime partners with Play

Story from Advanced Television:

Polish telco Play is now offering the full SkyShowtime service to its customers in Poland, providing a range of entertainment in one place.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Edgar Bronfman Backers, More Details Emerge In Bid For Paramount That Seeks To Unseat Skydance

Story from Deadline:

Investors backing Edgar Bronfman’s bid for Paramount Global include producer Steven Paul and John Paul Dejoria, who months ago had been working on their own offer, as well as child actor Brock Pierce and Nurali Aliyev, a Kazakh businessman and grandson of the former president of Kazakhstan.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline; Paramount Merger Saga Continues: Go-Shop Period Extended As Edgar Bronfman Vies With Skydance, Boosts His Offer To $6B

Story from Deadline:

Paramount is taking more time before an official handshake with Skydance, using an extra 15 days allotted in their merger contract to explore another bid – a surprise, last-minute offer from Edgar Bronfman Jr., one that the heir to the Seagram liquor fortune has just sweetened.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Edgar Bronfman Jr. Sweetens Bid For Paramount To $6 Billion

Story from Deadline:

Edgar Bronfman Jr. has upped his bid for Paramount Global, Deadline has confirmed, attempting to pry the Shari Redstone-controlled company away from David Ellison‘s Skydance, which signed a merger agreement in July.

Advanced Television: DAZN signs content deal with Brinx WDSC

Story from Advanced Television:

DAZN, the sports streaming platform, has announced a global multi-year broadcast deal with Brinx World Downhill Skateboarding Championship (WDSC) which will see DAZN broadcast all WDSC events live across over 200 territories worldwide.

Advanced Television: DAZN handball FAST channel on Pluto TV in DACH

Story from Advanced Television:

DAZN, the sports streaming platform, and Pluto TV, Paramount’s FAST TV service, have announcd the extension and expansion of their partnership to bring sports content to Pluto TV.

Broadband TV News: UEFA Champions League returns to Vectra’s offer

Story from Broadband TV News:

Under an agreement with Canal+, Poland’s largest cable operator Vectra will offer its customers access to channels with UEFA Champions League matches.

Deadline: Sony Pictures Promotes Ashley Marks To SVP Casting

Story from Deadline:

Sony Motion Picture Group has elevated Ashley Marks to SVP, Casting.

Advanced Television; France: Paramount+ in Canal+ packages

Story from Advanced Television:

Paramount+, the streaming service from Paramount Global, and Canal+ Group have announced the expansion of their partnership in France.

Broadband TV News: Netflix’s new seasons give boost to archive shows

Story from Broadband TV News:

Season 3 of Lupin gave a significant boost to earlier seasons of the Netflix French language show An analysis of a basket of shows debuting on Netflix in the first half of 2023 has found that older seasons of the show saw an increase of 86% in viewing hours on H1 2023.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Edgar Bronfman Makes His Move With $4.3 Billion Bid For Paramount Global

Story from Deadline:

Deadline hears that Edgar Bronfman, Jr. has made an offer for Paramount Global in a deal worth $4.3 billion, attempting to undo Par’s merger with Skydance.

Variety; ‘FBI’: Katherine Renee Kane to Exit During Season 7

Story from Variety:

Katherine Renee Kane will leave the cast of “FBI” after appearing in at least one episode of its upcoming seventh season.

Broadband TV News: Ziggo ends DVB-C distribution of 15 channels

Story from Broadband TV News:

Dutch cable operator Ziggo is shutting down the DVB-C distribution. of 15 of its special interest channels.

Advanced Television: Warner Bros Discovery to show the America’s Cup across Europe

Story from Advanced Television:

Warner Bros Discovery and the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup have announced a broadcast partnership that will bring live sailing coverage from the world’s oldest sporting competition to viewers across Europe.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - TVB Europe: S&P downgrades Warner Bros Discovery outlook to negative

Story from TVB Europe:

Credit rating agency S&P has revised its outlook on Warner Bros Discovery from stable to negative.

Advanced Television: Netflix’s Tyson vs Paul rescheduled for November

Story from Advanced Television:

On August 18th, at the inaugural Fanatics Fest NYC, at the Javits Center in New York, Jake Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) and Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) came face to face for the first time since the Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) historic bout was rescheduled.

Advanced Television: Prime Video reveals UEFA team; adds NFL Game Pass

Story from Advanced Television:

Prime Video has unveiled the range of live sports and documentaries coming to the service in the UK at the Prime Video Presents Sport showcase in London, including a reveal of UEFA Champions League on Prime, details of the deal that will bring over 100 NBA games to Prime per season from 2025, the launch of NFL Game Pass as a Prime Video add-on subscription, and more.

Broadband TV News: Amazon to acquire Perceive for $80M from Xperi

Story from Broadband TV News:

Amazon has reached an agreement to acquire chip maker and AI model compression company Perceive from Xperi for $80 million in cash.

CNBC: Frequent media bidder Byron Allen draws ire with late payments to ABC, CBS and NBC

Story from CNBC:

Broadcast stations owned by Byron Allen — the media mogul who has expressed public interest in buying various media assets for billions of dollars — have been consistently late in making payments to network owners, angering media allies and creating distance between Allen and his would-be deal partners, CNBC has learned.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Variety: CBS News Plans Third Hour of ‘CBS Mornings’ for Streaming, Stations

Story from Variety:

“CBS Mornings” may soon have more time in the sun.

Variety: Judge Bars Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox From Launching Sports Streamer Venu

Story from Variety:

Venu, the much-discussed streaming sports joint venture backed by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery, has been blocked from its goal.

Broadband TV News: LG expands its FAST channel LG 1 in Europe

Story from Broadband TV News:

LG Electronics is set to expand availability of LG 1, the company’s free ad-supported owned and operated channel, to reach a broader audience across Europe.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis - Broadband TV News: Kathleen Finch retires as Chairman and CEO of US Networks Warner Bros Discovery

Story from Broadband TV News:

Kathleen Finch, Chairman and CEO of US Networks at Warner Bros Discovery, has decided to retire after 25 years at the company.

Broadband TV News: One million Nordic interested in Serie A, but rights go unsold

Story from Broadband TV News:

The Italian Serie A football league remains one of the most popular international sports leagues among Nordic consumers, but with days to go before the new season, no broadcaster has come forward to buy the rights.

Broadcast Sport: DAZN to stream Gotham v Chelsea

Story from Broadcast Sport:

DAZN will stream Chelsea Women’s friendly match with Gotham FC.

Deadline: Former BBC Studios Drama Boss Priscilla Parish Heads To Sky Studios

Story from Deadline:

Former BBC Studios drama boss Priscilla Parish has headed in the opposite direction to Zai Bennett.

Broadband TV News: Champions League returns to Digi Sport

Story from Broadband TV News:

Digi Sport Romania will broadcast the next three seasons of UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Edgar Bronfman Jr. Preparing Bid For Paramount Global

Story from Deadline:

As the August 21 deadline looms for other parties to make a run at Paramount (or forever hold their peace), the Wall Street Journal reports that Edgar Bronfman Jr. has not exited the Paramount scene but is in talks with investors and preparing a bid.

CNBC: NBCUniversal is pinning Peacock’s streaming success on its $2.45 billion per year NBA deal

Story from CNBC:

Executives at Comcast’s NBC Sports targeted the NBA’s media rights renewal on their calendars for years.

Deadline; Peter Bart: Will Hollywood’s Cutbacks Inhibit The Comebacks? We’re Nearing The Moment Of Truth

Story from Deadline:

The news of the moment keeps veering between cutbacks and comebacks. Keep your shrink on hold.

Deadline: Lionsgate Extends CEO Jon Feltheimer’s Contract Through 2029 As Company Prepares To Split

Story from Deadline:

Liongate has approved a five-year employment agreement with chief executive Jon Feltheimer running through July 31, 2029.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - Deadline: Charles Barkley Says He Left $100M On The Table In Order To Stay With TNT And Save Jobs

Story from Deadline:

Charles Barkley once claimed he wasn’t a role model. But his most recent action seems to belie that.

Broadband TV News: EBU secures media rights for UEFA Women’s EURO 2025

Story from Broadband TV News

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has acquired comprehensive media rights for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, spanning 34 territories on behalf of 37 EBU Members.

Broadband TV News: Sunrise offers Serie A and Ligue 1 in Swiss national languages with DAZN

Story from Broadband TV News:

Swiss football fans can now watch all Serie A and Ligue 1 matches live on Sunrise TV in Italian, German or English (Serie A) or in French, German or English (Ligue 1) language.

Broadband TV News: Ben Goldberger appointed GM editorial content at BBC Studios

Story from Broadband TV News:

BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC Group, has announced Ben Goldberger as General Manager and Executive Director of Editorial Content.

Advanced Television: DAZN, Deezer partnership

Story from Advanced Television:

Deezer, the music streaming platform, and DAZN, the sports streaming service, have announced a multi-year joint distribution partnership.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Amid Paramount Layoffs And Skydance Talks, CBS Sports Has Emerged “Largely Intact” And “Strong” Due To Viewer Demand, Division Chief David Berson Says

Story from Deadline:

CBS Sports CEO David Berson said the volatility at parent company Paramount Global, which is laying off 15% of its U.S. workforce and preparing to merge with Skydance Media, isn’t taking his division off its game.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - Variety; All That Zas: Warner Bros. Discovery CEO’s Tough Tactics Have Many Partners Zigging

Story from Variety:

Just a year ago, Warner Bros. Discovery was riding high on the pop-culture tsunami that was “Barbie.”

Deadline: Lionsgate Extends CEO Jon Feltheimer’s Contract Through 2029 As Company Prepares To Split

Story from Deadline:

Liongate has approved a five-year employment agreement with chief executive Jon Feltheimer running through July 31, 2029.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Jeff Shell Faces Scrutiny Over Past Conduct As Top Paramount Job Looms

Story from Deadline:

As Jeff Shell prepares to re-enter the C-suite leagues under the proposed Skydance-Paramount merger, we hear there’s a lot of digging to find some dirt on the former NBCUniversal executive to either derail or taint his new job before it starts.

Variety: A+E Networks Undergoes Layoffs Across Departments at Lifetime, A&E and History

Story from Variety:

A+E Networks underwent a round of staff cuts on Tuesday, with every division of the company — including programming, marketing and and public relations at outlets including Lifetime, A&E and History — impacted by the layoffs.

Advanced Television: Bosnia and Herzegovina reboots DTT project

Story from Advanced Television:

Bosnia and Herzegovina has entrusted Croatian company Odašiljači i veze (OiV) to finally complete the long-delayed rollout of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT).

Advanced Television: LG 1 channel expanding European reach

Story from Advanced Television:

LG Electronics is set to expand availability of LG 1, the company’s FAST channel, to reach a broader audience across Europe. Following a successful launch in the UK and Germany in May, LG 1 will be available later this year in France, Spain and Italy via LG Channels, the company’s free streaming service.

Broadband TV News: beIN extends exclusive LaLiga rights across MENA and APAC

Story from Broadband TV News:

beIN Sports will remain the home of Spanish football in 34 markets across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) until the end of the 2027-28 and 2026-27 seasons respectively following an extension to its broadcast rights.

Broadband TV News: Thorsten Haeser joins Sunrise as Chief Business Officer

Story from Broadband TV News:

Thorsten Haeser will become the new Chief Business Officer of Swiss network operator Sunrise.

Deadline: Shares Of Dish Network Owner EchoStar Plunge As Q2 Results Prompt New Talk Of Bankruptcy Risk

Story from Deadline:

Shares of troubled Dish Network parent EchoStar have fallen sharply Monday in the wake of a downbeat second-quarter earnings report, with chatter continuing about a potential bankruptcy filing.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Nickelodeon Marketing Exec Sabrina Caluori Exiting Ahead Of Broader Paramount Layoffs

Story from Deadline:

Sabrina Caluori, a veteran TV exec who was Nickelodeon‘s top marketing exec, is exiting her post ahead of broader layoffs at Paramount Global.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Paramount Begins Laying Off 15% Of U.S. Staff; Co-CEOs Tell Staffers Media Company Has Reached “An Inflection Point” As “Industry Continues To Evolve”

Story from Deadline:

Paramount Global has officially initiated long-planned layoffs as it looks to reduce its U.S.-based workforce by 15%.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Paramount Television Studios Shutting Down Amid Cutbacks

Story from Deadline:

There have been two major rounds of layoffs at Paramount Global this year, with Paramount Television Studios as a primary target in both.

Broadband TV News: Canal+ Group renews beIN Sports distribution

Story from Broadband TV News:

Canal+ Group has renewed its distribution agreement with beIN Sports, ensuring its subscribers have access to the week’s top or second pick from Ligue 1 each Saturday.

Broadband TV News: Canal+ looking to increase holding in MC Vision

Story from Broadband TV News:

Canal+ wants to significantly increase its ownership in the Mauritian pay-TV company MC Vision.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Variety: Paramount Global Starts Layoffs, Sees $500 Million in Cuts Before End of 2024

Story from Variety:

Paramount Global will cut $500 million in costs by the end of the year, and aims to have the bulk of them completed by the end of September, according to a memo from company management issued Tuesday.

BizAsia: Sony Pictures Networks India announces three significant leadership changes

Story from BizAsia:

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has announced three significant leadership changes, reflecting the company’s continued dedication to strategic growth and operational excellence.

Broadband TV News: AMC launches on Croatian Telecom

Story from Broadband TV News:

AMC Networks International Central & Northern Europe (AMCNI CNE) and Croatian Telecom have agreed to a framework agreement that brings movie channel AMC to Croatian Telecom’s MAXtv subscribers starting from August 2024.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Hollywood Reporter: Paramount Sells Two Entertainment Websites Amid Cost-Cutting Effort

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

As it looks to shed assets in order to achieve $500 million in cost savings, Paramount Global has sold two entertainment news websites in its portfolio to the digital media executive who once ran the sites.

Hollywood Reporter: Warner Bros. Drops Genndy Tartakovsky’s Animated Movie ‘Fixed’ as Sony Hunts for New Buyer

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Fixed is back on the prowl following Warner Bros. Discovery‘s decision to drop the completed film.

Deadline: Netflix Christmas Day NFL Games To Be Produced By CBS Sports

Story from Deadline:

Netflix will use CBS Sports as producer for the two National Football League games the streamer is carrying this Christmas.

Variety: ‘The Simpsons’ to Produce Four New Episodes Exclusively for Disney+ — Including a New Christmas Two-Parter

Story from Variety:

As “The Simpsons” prepares to launch its Season 36 this fall on Fox, that won’t be the only place to catch new episodes of the long-running animated series.

Deadline: Starz & BritBox Launching New Bundle, Lionsgate On Track To Split By Year End, CEO Says After Mixed Earnings Report

Story from Deadline:

Starz and BBC Studios’ BritBox will come together on a new bundle next quarter as streamers big and small continue to pair up, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said Thursday.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Paramount Co-CEOs Say Talks Heating Up On Streaming Partnerships, Asset Sales Ahead Of Skydance Merger

Story from Deadline:

The Paramount Global-Skydance merger is on track to close in the first half of 2025 and “in the meantime, the Skydance and Redbird teams support our strategic plan and we are continuing to operate business as usual,” said Chris McCarthy — who runs Paramount with Brian Robbins and George Cheeks — on a call after quarterly earnings Thursday.

Broadband TV News: RTL Group grows streaming subscribers 25%

Story from Broadband TV News:

A successful launch from M6 in France and growth at RTL Deutschland helped RTL Group increase its streaming revenues by 41.9% to €185 million in the first half of 2024.

Variety: Disney Commits $5 Billion to U.K. and European Production Over Next Five Years

Story from Variety:

Disney is set to invest at least $5 billion in production across the U.K. and continental Europe over the next five years, according to Jan Koeppen, the company’s European chief.

Variety: AMC Networks Takes $97 Million Hit to Balance Sheet in Q2 on Devaluation of International Business, BBC America

Story from Variety:

AMC Networks reported its second-quarter 2024 earnings Friday, disclosing a $97 million hit to its balance sheet, including a $68 million goodwill impairment charge at the international division following the sale of 25/7 Media and a $29 million long-lived asset impairment charge at BBC America, a joint venture with BBC Studios.

Variety: Robert Downey Jr. Turned Down Iron Man Cameo in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ After Reading Scene; Writers Also Had an Idea to Bring the Six Original Avengers Back

Story from Variety:

“Deadpool & Wolverine” co-writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick revealed in an interview with IndieWire that Robert Downey Jr. was courted to reprise Tony Stark/Iron Man for a cameo appearance in Marvel’s latest record-breaking blockbuster.

Variety: Cartoon Network Website Shuts Down, Warner Bros. Discovery Kicks Visitors Over to Max

Story from Variety:

Cartoon Network has been scrubbed from the web.

Advanced Television: News Corp mulls Foxtel sale

Story from Advanced Television:

News Corp is considering selling Foxtel, its Australian cable TV and streaming unit, after receiving an approach.

Variety: Fremantle Revenue Dips, RTL Group Streaming Subs Surge 25% in H1 2024

Story from Variety:

European media powerhouse RTL Group released its first half 2024 results on Friday, revealing a mixed performance across its divisions.

Variety: Lionsgate Revenue Drops 8% in June Quarter, Starz Loses 500,000 Subscribers

Story from Variety:

Lionsgate, still feeling ripple effects from last year’s twin Hollywood strikes, reported a decline in sales and while narrowing its net loss for the June quarter, as its Starz unit shed 500,000 subscribers.

Paramount Global/Skydance merger - Variety: Paramount to Lay Off 15% U.S. Workforce, About 2,000 Employees, in Fresh Round of Cuts

Story from Variety:

Paramount Global will cut 15% of its U.S. workforce in the next few weeks — a round of layoffs that will affect about 2,000 employees — coming ahead of its planned merger with Skydance Media.

Paramount Global/Skydance merger - Deadline: Paramount Takes $5.98B Write-Down At Cable Networks Ahead Of Skydance Deal In Latest Big Media Damage From Linear TV

Story from Deadline:

Paramount Global has taken a massive hit to earnings, booking a nearly $6 billion write-down as part of its second-quarter earnings, a day after Warner Bros. Discovery reported an even bigger charge.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - CNBC: Pressure mounting on Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav to deliver value for shareholders

Story from CNBC:

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav needs a win. Soon.

Paramount Global/Skydance merger - Deadline: Paramount Global Steels Itself For New Round Of Layoffs As Q2 Earnings Hit, End Of Skydance “Go-Shop” Period Nears

Story from Deadline:

A momentous couple of weeks for Paramount Global are underway. Its second-quarter earnings are due out today, the “go-shop” period in the $8 billion Skydance deal closes August 21, and a new round of layoffs is expected next week.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - Broadband TV News: Warner Bros Discovery under pressure following NBA loss

Story from Broadband TV News:

Pressure is mounting on Warner Bros Discovery boss David Zaslav after the company was forced to take a $11.2 billion writedown in the wake of its loss of NBA rights to rival Amazon.

Hollywood Reporter: Roy Wood Jr. to Host CNN’s ‘Have I Got News for You’

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Roy Wood Jr. is getting back into the news-and-comedy game.

Hollywood Reporter: Liberty Media CEO Says Live Nation Shouldn’t Be Broken Up

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Liberty Media, the company controlled by billionaire mogul John Malone that has ownership stakes in assets like Live Nation, audio entertainment giant SiriusXM and the Formula 1 racing circuit, reported second-quarter financials on Thursday.

Hollywood Reporter: Endeavor Puts OpenBet and IMG Arena Up For Sale as Silver Lake Takeover Draws Closer

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

As Endeavor‘s take-private deal with Silver lake draws closer, big changes are already coming to the Ari Emanuel-led firm.

Variety: The CW Narrows Losses by $33 Million in Q2 as Nexstar Ad Sales Tick Up 2%

Story from Variety:

Nexstar reported its second-quarter 2024 earnings Thursday, revealing that the CW Network has narrowed its losses by $33 million.

Variety: TKO Q2 Earnings Grow on Higher Site Fees, Sponsor Sales for UFC and WWE

Story from Variety:

The UFC and WWE both saw strong gains in site fees, sponsorship dollars and live event demand in the second quarter, which boosted the fortunes of its parent company enough to allow TKO Group Holdings to raise full-year financial guidance for the second consecutive quarter.

Variety: ProSiebenSat.1, German Television, Streaming Group, Sees Revenue and Profits Continue to Soar in Second Quarter of 2024

Story from Variety:

German media giant ProSiebenSat.1 reported a 5% increase in both Q2 and first-half 2024 revenues, reaching €907 million ($991.4 million) and €1.7 billion ($1.9 billion) respectively, the company revealed on Thursday.

Paramount Global/Skydance merger - Hollywood Reporter: Sony Says a Deal For Paramount “Does Not Fit Well With Our Strategy”

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Even though Shari Redstone has inked a deal with David Ellison’s Skydance Media to relinquish control of Paramount Global, the company has until Aug. 21 to mull any other takeover options during a “go-shop” window.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - Variety: Warner Bros. Discovery Stock Crumples to All-Time Lows After Huge Q2 Impairment Charge

Story from Variety:

Shares of Warner Bros. Discovery slid more than 12% in early trading Thursday to all-time lows after the media conglomerate — heavily reliant on its pay-TV business — announced a whopping $9.1 billion write-down reflecting the loss of value of its linear television networks.

Deadline: Sony Pictures Entertainment Profit Slides Down To $73M In First Quarter

Story from Deadline:

Sony Pictures Entertainment posted first quarter operating income of $73M, down over 36% year-on-year on a U.S. dollar basis.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - Hollywood Reporter: Warner Bros. Discovery Takes Major Impairment Charge Over Linear TV While Streaming Makes Minor Gains

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Warner Bros. Discovery posted a quarterly loss for its Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) unit, and saw its base of global streaming subscribers rise to 103.3 million at the end of the second quarter, up 3.6 million subs added, compared 99.6 million at the end of the first quarter.

Hollywood Reporter: CNN Launches FAST Streaming Channel Focused On Original Series

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

A slew of CNN Originals, including shows hosted by Anthony Bourdain, W. Kamau Bell, Lisa Ling and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, will be available for free to consumers starting today.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - Deadline: Warner Bros. Discovery Takes Massive $11.2 Billion In Write-Downs & Charges In Q2 After Losing NBA

Story from Deadline:

Warner Bros. Discovery is taking a hefty non-cash impairment charge, or write-down, of $9.1 billion at its networks division to align the book value of its linear television business with the reality of uncertain advertising and sports rights renewals as the NBA is set to move on.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis latest - Variety: Warner Bros. Discovery Takes $9.1 Billion Balance-Sheet Hit for Massive Drop in TV Network Values

Story from Variety:

Warner Bros. Discovery reported its second-quarter 2024 earnings Wednesday, which included a $9.1 billion charge related to the devaluation of the company’s TV networks.

Broadband TV News: GAA opens championship games to domestic broadcasters

Story from Broadband TV News:

The GAA has invited “expressions of interest” for broadcast rights to selected championship games currently broadcast by GAAGo.

Variety: ‘Inside Out 2’ Lifts Disney Quarterly Earnings, Overall Streaming Biz Swings to Profit Amid Light Disney+ Subscriber Gain

Story from Variety:

Disney’s latest quarterly results overall sparked joy for the Mouse House — with the record-breaking “Inside Out 2” boosting profits and the company’s consolidated streaming business landing in the black for the first time.

Variety: Disney Says It Might Have to Pay Comcast up to $5 Billion More to Buy Out Hulu

Story from Variety:

Disney and Comcast remain locked in a dispute over what Hulu is worth — and Disney said it might have to pay up to $5 billion more to complete the buyout of NBCUniversal’s 33% stake in the streamer.

Paramount Global/Skydance merger - Variety: Sony Officially Says It Won’t Bid for Paramount Global to Counter Skydance Deal

Story from Variety:

Sony is not interested in making a new offer for Paramount Global that would challenge Paramount’s deal to merge with Skydance Media, a top exec for the Japanese conglomerate said.

Variety: Paramount+ Domestic and Showtime CMO Michael Engleman to Exit

Story from Variety:

Just over a year after his promotion, Paramount+ Domestic and Showtime chief marketing officer Michael Engleman has decided to exit the company.

Deadline: Disney, Fox & Fubo Lawyers Clash In NY Court As Venu Sports Antitrust Lawsuit Goes Before Judge

Story from Deadline:

Lawyers butted heads Tuesday in a key hearing in the antitrust lawsuit Fubo filed against Disney, Fox and Warner Bros Discovery, a case with broad implications for the pay-TV business.

Hollywood Reporter: Charles Barkley Cancels Retirement Plans, Will Stay With TNT Sports for “Years to Come”

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Charles Barkley won’t be retiring after all.

Deadline: Disney To Raise Prices On Most Streaming Plans This Fall

Story from Deadline:

Disney will hike the price of most streaming plans as of October 17, the company said today, about a year after its last increase in the fall of 2023.

Deadline: NBCU Ups Jeanne Mau To EVP TV Programming Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Story from Deadline:

NBCUniversal has promoted Jeanne Mau to Executive Vice President, TV Programming Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, from her SVP role.

Warner Bros. Discovery: truTV to Exclusively Televise Five Friday Night Savannah Bananas Games, Starting Aug. 16

Story from Warner Bros. Discovery:

TNT Sports’ programming block on truTV continues to expand its offerings, today announcing five consecutive weeks of live Friday night action from the Savannah Bananas’ Banana Ball World Tour this August and September.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis - Broadband TV News: Warner Bros Discovery turns to asset sales

Story from Broadband TV News:

The disposal of Poland’s TVN is one of the options under consideration by Warner Bros Discovery executives anxious to avoid a break-up of the media company.

Broadband TV News: Viaplay rolls out ad supported tier

Story from Broadband TV News:

Viaplay has introduced a new HVOD (Hybrid Video on Demand) tier for its Swedish customers.

Variety: ‘House of the Dragon’ Finale Hits Season 2 Viewership High With Nearly 9 Million Viewers, But Down From Season 1 Ender

Story from Variety:

“House of the Dragon” hit a Season 2 high in viewership with Sunday’s finale, which drew 8.9 million multiplatform viewers across HBO and Max, per Warner Bros. Discovery.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis - FT: Warner Bros Discovery looks to avoid break-up with smaller asset sales

Story from FT:

Warner Bros Discovery’s senior management is looking to avoid a break-up of the company as executives race to reverse the Hollywood group’s plunging share price, according to people familiar with the matter.

Variety: Longtime Nat Geo Marketing and Communications Exec Chris Albert Set to Depart After More Than Two Decades

Story from Variety:

Longtime National Geographic marketing and communications exec Chris Albert, known for his stylish sartorial choices themed to the channel’s various events (and spawning the social media hashtag “#wearischris”), is departing the company after more than two decades.

Variety; Max Launches New Homepage Personalization System: Here’s How It Works and What Changes Are Next

Story from Variety:

Max subscribers may not have noticed yet, but Warner Bros. Discovery quietly began rolling out a new homepage personalization system last December, when it began A/B testing the redesign.

BizAsia: Neeraj Vyas to leave Sony Pictures Television this month

Story from BizAsia:

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has announced that Neeraj Vyas, Business Head—Sony Entertainment Television, Sony SAB, PAL, and Sony MAX Movie Cluster, will be leaving the company effective 31st August 2024.

Broadband TV News: Deep Bagchee named President, CNBC International

Story from Broadband TV News:

CNBC has announced the appointment of Deep Bagchee as CNBC International President.

Deadline: Customers Duped By House-Flipping Scheme Tied To HGTV Stars Are Getting Refunds

Story from Deadline:

The Federal Trade Commission is giving $12 million in refund payments to those duped by a Utah company associated with multiple HGTV stars.

Deadline: Paramount Global Stations In Detroit & Miami To Become CW Affiliates In Renewal Agreement With Nexstar

Story from Deadline:

Paramount Global has inked a multi-year affiliation agreement with Nexstar, the nation’s biggest broadcaster, covering 42 markets.

Broadband TV News: Acunmedya finalises 50% acquisition of Sport1

Story from Broadband TV News:

Acunmedya’s investment in Sport1 has been finalised: The Turkish media company acquires 50% of the shares in the German sports broadcaster.

RTÉ News: Executive salaries to be included in RTÉ annual report

Story from RTÉ News:

Executive salaries for senior managers will be included in RTÉ's next annual report for the first time, as the broadcaster has committed to more transparency in the wake of controversies last summer.

Warner Bros Discovery Crisis - Variety: Boomerang Cartoon Streaming Service Is Being Shut Down by Warner Bros. Discovery

Story from Variety:

Zoinks! After more than seven years, Boomerang, the cartoon streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery, is shutting down as a standalone service.

Variety: NFL Sunday Ticket $4.7 Billion Jury Verdict Thrown Out by Judge

Story from Variety:

The NFL got a major call overturned: A federal judge Thursday threw out a jury’s $4.7 billion award to subscribers of the league’s Sunday Ticket, finding that the verdict was unsupported by evidence presented in the class-action case.

Broadband TV News: LFP confirms domestic football rights

Story from Broadband TV News:

The French Football League (LFP) has officially ratified the pay-TV contracts for the new football season.

Warner Bros. Discovery/Paramount Global merger

Last updated on August 1st 2024 at 21:00: (THIS PAGE IS NO LONGER BEING UPDATED)

We at Media Boy UK HQ will update this thread with more information as soon as we get any:

Deadline: Banijay Production & Distribution Revenues Dip In H1 But Group Keeps Faith In Full-Year Profits Growth

Story from Deadline:

Revenue within Banijay‘s production and distribution arms fell by 7% and 20% respectively in the first half of this year, with the group putting this down to big scripted shows set to launch in Q4.

Variety: HBO and Max’s Multicultural Marketing Chief Jackie Gagne Exits After 4 Years

Story from Variety:

HBO and Max senior vice president of multicultural marketing Jackie Gagne is exiting her post after four years.

RTÉ News: 133 external activities by RTÉ employees approved in Q1

Story from RTÉ News:

RTÉ has published the first breakdown of details from its new Register of External Activities, which covers the months of February and March 2024.

Variety: Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Sports Streamer Venu to Launch at $42.99 per Month

Story from Variety:

Streaming sports on a stand-alone basis won’t be cheap.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Variety: Announcement of Rival Bid for Paramount Global Pulled by Business Wire

Story from Variety:

An announcement put out Wednesday by Business Wire, a service that distributes press releases on behalf of clients, about a purported new bid for Paramount Global was withdrawn later in the day.

BizAsia: Star India to seek damages against ZEE after termination of ICC TV rights deal

Story from BizAsia:

Star India has terminated its $1.5 billion TV rights deal with ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited for the International Cricket Council (ICC) events.

Paramount Global for sale latest - Deadline: Paramount Shares Sink After Hours Amid Questions About Legitimacy Of Supposed New Takeover Bid

Story from Deadline:

Paramount Global shares, which had ticked up 1.6% Wednesday amid word of a left-field acquisition offer, sank in after-hours trading as questions were raised about the legitimacy of the purported bid.